Power-transmitting device.



L, L HARRIS.

PoWEB. TRANSMITTING DEVICE.

APPLIATION FILED JAN. 10, 19,02.

Patented Aug. 31, 1909e 5 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

L. J. HARRIS.

POWER TRANSMITTING DEVICE, APPLGATION TILED JAN. l0, 1902.

932,467, Patented Aug. 31, 1909.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Invizor:

L. J. HARRIS. POWER TRANSMITTING DEVICE.

APPLGATION FILED JAN. 10, 1902.

932,467. Patented Aug. 31, 1909.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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POWER TRANSMITTING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED 153311.10, 1902.

Patented Aug. 31, 1909.

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L. J. HARRIS.-

POWER. TRANSMITTING DEVICE.

APPLOATION FILED JAN. 10, 1902.

982,467. Patented Aug. 31, 1909.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

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LOUIE J. HARRIS, 0F NEW YRX, N. Y.

POWER-TRANSMITTING DEVICE.

Application nled January l0, 1902.

To all fwafom it may concern.'

Be it known that l, Loom J. Harnais, a citizen of the vUnited States,and resident of New vilorl, in the county and State of New Yorl-z,certify that l have invented a certain new and usefulPower-Tiaiisinission Device, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to means whereby power may be transmitted from aprimary or power shaft to a secondary or counter shaft, the latterbeing, by the use of my device, started slowly, and then caused to runat an increased. rate of speed without any shock, and afterward releasedinstantly at will, as for use in automobiles, and it has for its objectthc provision of an apparatus of the hind set forth, simple inconstruction, inexpensive to manufacture, and which operates smoothly,steadily and noiselessly, and which combines compactness of structureand light weight, and also increased etliciency in practical operation.

To attain the desired end, this, my invention, consists in theconstruction, arrange inentand operation of parts herein set forth.

In order to enable my invention to be fully understood, l will proceedto explain the same by reference to the drawings which accompany andform a part of this speciiication, in which* Figure l. represents ahorizontal section of the box or case containing my transmission gear 5Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2, 2, Fig. l, Fig. 3 is aview in detail ol' the spring and connections by which the cage or framesupporting my gears is moved ,z F -i is an elevation of my core orblocl; and connections, Figs. .5 and 6 are sections talen on the lines5, 5, and 6, 6, Fig. a.; G is a detail. lFigs. 7, and are horizontalsections of boxes containing other forms of transmission devicesconstructed according to my invention; Figs, 7'qb and 8 are detailsrespectively of the cores and hubs shown in Figs. 7 and S; and F1'. l()is an elevation of the case or bor: containing my transmission gear.

Lilie letters of reference indicate like parts in all the views.

l have found it desirable to malte a transmission gear of improvedconstruction whereby the bad features of gears as formerly used, namelythe crowding and breakage of teeth, continuous wear oil the same, andloss of power by friction, and noise may be avoided, and l have,therefore, constructed Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 31, 1909.. Serial No. 89,170.

according to my invention, an organization of the class described,embodying the preferred construction of parts, and their mutualrelationship, combination, arrangement and organization in a compositebody or structure, as hereinafter described.

ferring particularly to the drawings A, A', A2, A3 and B, Bf, B2, B3denote pairs of normally passive differential transmission gears eachprovidedy with a non-circular bore or central orifice a, the members Ato A3 of the said gears being concentric with the power or primary shaftC, which passes through the bore a, and the members l5 to B eingconcentric with the secondary or counter shaft D, the said shaft C beingpreferably driven by means controlled by a clutch C1", as shown in Fig.Q.

The various members of the several pairs of gears are suitably andindependently mounted in a cage or frame E, as by ball bearings c, andth y are all normally passive and independent both as regards .eachother and also the shafts C and D.

l provide means, as a movable interlocking device, whereby the variouspairs ol gears may be put in operative relation with the practicallysquare shafts C and D scriatim, the several members A to A3 beingrotated, when interloclied at the proper time, by means of the shaft C,and the members B to B, which are continuously in mesh with theirrespective gears A to A3,-serving to impart power, when operated, to theshaft D. A number or variety of these movable inter locking devices maybe constructed according to my invention. For example, the cage or framecontaining the gears and the shafts may be stationary, and a block orcore may be moved along the shafts to engage the bores of the severalpairs of diil'erential gears seriatim; or the cage or trame may benievable, and the shafts together with the cores or blocks may bestationary, the gears in this instance traveling over the cores orblocks; or the cage or frame may be rigidly attached to the containing'box or case, and the shafts, provided with splines or blocks, may bemovable, the splines or blocks in this case serving' to engage thevarious pairs of diflerential gears scriatim.

l will now proceed to describe some of the interlocking devices suitableto be used in connection with my transmission gear.

ln Fig. l, the cage or frame E is rigidly attached to the interior of aclosed boX or case with, are yet primarily and incidentally sup- F,provided Ywith bearings f for the horizontal shafts C and D, andpreferably containing lubricating material. Another bearing f isprovided in said box or case for the bar G which is attached to a leverK, and alsosecured to an arm g provided at its extremities with blocks gwhich encircle and are movable upon the shafts C and D, and worl; overthe plates H, a pair of which lie adjacent to and are slidablerespectively upon two opposite and parallel faces of each of the shaftsC and D.

At one end of each pair of plates H is secured an octagonal block orcore J constructed and arranged to register with the angular bore orcentral orifice a of the gears. rl`he opposite ends of each of said pairof plates are provided with a pair of collars 7L, intermediate which theblocks g holding the ends of the arm g workg-springs g2 lying betweenthe blocks g and the collars h. The angles at the edge of the blocks Jare cut away in order to allow the said blocks to more readily enter thebores a.

In Fig. 7, the cage or frame E retaining the vertical transmission gearsslides within the case or box F on ways or traclrsfz, and is attacheddirectly to the barv G. The shafts C and D are respectively providedwith collars Cl and D, intermediate which are placed sleeves consistingof hexagonal blocks or cores J between which and the said collars arelocated s rings g2. The blocks or cores J respectively engage with thebores 1/ of the transmission gears.

in Fig. 8, the arm g of the link G works in blocks g and is situatedbetween springs g2 placed intermediate collars 7i, as in Fig. l. in thisinstanceJ however, the collars are rigidly secured to the shafts C andD. The said shafts are res ectively provided with splines C3, D3, whicare constructed and ar ranged to engage with the teeth d and worlr inthe grooves or recesses am formed at the centers of each of thetransmission gears, and surrounding the orifices a3, whenever the saidshafts are moved by the lever G,-the cage or frame E being in thisinstance fastened to the interior of the case F, as in Fig. l.

ln Fig. 9, the parts are similar in construc tion to that shown in Fig.8, with the exception that the shafts C and D carry cores or blocksrigidly attached thereto, instead of splines, and the said blocks andthe central bore or orifice of the gears are similar to those shown inFigs. 7 and 7 a.

It will be observed by reference to Fig. l() that the casing F consistsof a number of sections bolted around and-together with thegearsfsupported by the shafts C and D, and that the said intermeshinggears A, A, A2 and A3 and B, B, B2 and B3, although in the presentembodiment being mounted around the shafts C and D and free from contactthereported by the inner cage or frame E, which also incloses the saidshafts, the said part E being in turn inclosed in an outer casing F, thesections of which are as stated, mounted and fastened on the said shaftsC and D, which may be moved laterally as in Fig. 8. The shafts thus suaport the casings E, F inclosing the shafts fon which casings the twosets of gear wheels are mounted) and the said shafts serve to providethe fundamental support for the said gear wheels, and therefore the saidseparate gear wheels of different size are, broadly speaking, looselymounted on and held in operative position and supported on each of thesaid shafts.

it is manifest that various omissions of some particulars could be made'without materially affecting the essential features of my invention, orthe operation of the remaining parts, and l do not, therefore, vcish tobe limited to the specific structural details of the organization hereinset forth. Cbviously, the elements of the structure described may planein which they are shown. l, accordingly, use the words horizontaljvertical, and the like, in a relative sense.

'In operation, when the lever K is moved for the purpose of starting theshaft D in motion, the bar G is pulled in a forward direction, thuscarrying along the blocks g, plates H Vand cores J, which slide en theshafts C and D as shown in Fig. l. inasmuch as the shaft C is preferablyin continuous rotation, the core or blocks J, when they enter the boreser central apertures a of the first pair of normally passive verticaltransmission gears A, B, serve to start the said gears in motion, andthe horizontal shaft D will be rotated at a certain rate of speed asregards the shaft C. By now pulling the bar G, farther along, the coresJ rill leave the first pair of gears A and B, and will enter the hollowhubs of the next pair of gears, namely, A', B', and the shaft D Ywillnov." be rotated at a higher rate of speed than before; and by thusengaging the cores J successively ith the other pairs of gears A2, B2,and A3, B3, the shaft D will be caused to turn still more rapidly asregards the shaft C. By reversing the movement of the lever K and bar G,the shaft Dniay be caused to revolve at a louer rate of speed, orstopped altogether.

ln the form of transmission gear shown in Fig. 7, the movement of thelever K and bar G causes the cores or blocks 5 and the hubs of the gearsto become differentially engaged, by sliding the cage or frameE,-carrying the said gears and attached to the bar G,- over the blocks Jrespectively carried by the shafts C and D. rihc movable interlockingmechanism shown in Figs. 8 and 9 comprises projecting portions, as thesplines C3, D3 or cores or blocks J secured to the shafts C and D, whichare constructed and arranged to be located at an angle to thedifferentially engage the several pairs of transmission gears carried bythe cage E.

lt vfill be noted that in all the different forms of my movableinterlocking device shovrn, the engagement of thel parts is a gradualone, on account of the springs g2 which lie intermediate the block g andthe collars 7i; or, as in 7', hetrieen the cores or blocks J and. thecollars C/ and D The shaft D ill thus be started 'with an easy or slevfand gradual movement, if-hereby all shocks are avoided, and by movingthe lever K and bar G backward rapidly, the shaft D may be releasedii'istantly. lnasmuch as only one pair of transmission gears are inoperation at one time, the ivear and consequent looseness and less ofpov-:er by friction, and noise usually observed in apparatuses of thiskind is done avfay with, and as the several pairs of gears arecontinuously meshed together, the crowding and breakage of the gearteeth is entirely obviated.

Qbviously my trans aission gear may be embodied in other forms ofmechanism than that vhich l have described, and is applicable to and maybe advantageously cmployed in many kinds of pouver transmitting1devices, and l do not, therefore, Wish to limit myself to the use of mydevice in connection vwith automobiles alone.

is it is evident that many changes in the construction, form, proportionand relative arrangement of parts might be resorted to r-.ithoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of my invention, l -r-:ould have itunderstood that l do not restrict myself to the particular constructionand arrangement of parts shovvn and described, hut that such changes andequivalents may be substituted therefor, and that YWhat l claim as myinvention is l. ln a power transmitting device, a driving and a drivenshaft, a pair of normally passive gears oppositely disposed over hut Vunsupported by said. shafts, a structure to hold the `gears in anintermeshing relation, and interlocking means having a yieldingconnection with a common controlling device to form an operativeconnection between the gears and their shafts, in combination with saidcontrolling device..

2. ln a power transmitting device, a drivingl and a driven shaft, a pairof normally passive gears oppositely disposed over but unsupported hysaid shafts, a closed structure to contain lubricating material and tohold the gears in an intermeshing relation, and in,- terlecl-:ing meanshaving a yielding connection with a common controlling device to form anoperative connection between the gears and their shafts, in combinationWith said controlling device.

3. A structure having an interior receptacle to contain a lubricatingmaterial and adapted to afford a bearing, the structure having adivision passing longitudinally through the center of the bearing, andconsisting of a plurality of parts constructed and arranged to besecured together, in combination with a shaft to Werlin the bearing andhaving a projecting portion to rotate Within the said structure and topass through the lubricating material, and also with gear Wheelsconstructed and arranged. to he also rotated in the lubricating materialby the revolution of the shaft, 'whereby some of the lubricatingmaterial is lifted up and caused to drop again at every revolution ofthe shaft.

4. A structure having an interior receptacle to contain a lubricatingmaterial and adapted to afford a bearing, the structure having adivision passing longitudinally through the center of the bearing, andconsisting of a plurality of parts constructed and arranged to hesecured together, in combination with a shaft to Werl-1 in the bearingand having a device projecting from the periphery thereof to rotateWithin the said. structure and to pass through the lubricating material,whereby some of the lubricating material is lifted up and caused to dropagain at every rotation of the shaft.

5. A speed-changing mechanism, comprising tivo shafts, separate gears ofdifferent size revoluhly supported, the gears encircling one shaftmeshing with those encircling the other shaft in reverse order, meansfor locking each shaft to any one gear thereabout, and interconnectedmeans for operating said locking means to unlock the shafts from onepair of meshing gears and to loch them to another pair of meshing gears.

6. The combination With a main shaft, a countershaft, a plurality ofintermeshing gear Wheels each provided with locking recesses, a hey forcoupling and uncoupling each shaft With the gear Wheels, and means forsimultaneously moving said keys from one pair of meshing gears toanother pair.

7. In a variable speed mechanism, a driving shaft adapted to be adjustedendwise and provided with a hey, supporting means, a series of gearsloosely mounted thereon, and respectively adapted to be engaged withsaid shaft and driven by said. hey, a driven shaft provided With a keyand adapted to be shifted endwise, supporting means, and a series ofgears mounted thereon and engaged with said driven shaft and in meshwith the gears on the driving shaft, and adapted to respec- 'nf tivelyimpart motion to the driven shaft by means of the hey carried by thedriven shaft.

S. A speed changing mechanism comprising two shafts, supporting means,separate gears of different sizes revolubly mounted thereon and engagedwith each shaft, the gears on one shaft meshing with those on the othershaft in reverse order, means for lool*- ing each shaft to any one gearthereon, and interconnected means for operating said lochllt) ing meansto unlo'ck the shafts from one pair of meshing gears and to lock them toanother pair of meshing gears.

9. A speed changing mechanism comprising two shafts, supporting means,separate gears of different sizes revolubly mounted thereon and engagedwith each shaft, the gears on one shaft meshing with those on the othershaft in reverse order, each shaft movable axially with reference to thegears thereon, a feather for locking each shaft to any one gear thereon,and means for shifting the shafts through the gears andthereby unlockingthem from one pair of meshing gears and locking them to another pair ofmeshing gears.

10. A speed changing mechanism comprising two shafts, supporting means,separate gears of different sizes revolubly mounted thereon and engagedwith each shaft, the gears on one shaft meshing with those on the othershaft in reverse order, each shaft movable axially with reference to thegears thereon, a feather for locking each shaft to any one gear thereon,and connections between the two shafts whereby the axial movement on oneshaft effects the axial movement of the other shaft.

11. A speed changing mechanism comprising two shafts, separate gears ofdifferent size encircling or surrounding each shaft in a revolublerelation, the gears of one shaft meshing with those of the other shaftin reverse order, means for locking each shaft to any one gear thereon,and interconnected means for operating said locking means to unlock theshafts from one pair of meshing gears and to lock them to another pairof meshing gears.

12. A speed changing mechanism comprising two shafts, separate gears ofdifferent size encircling or surrounding each shaft in a revolublerelation, the gears of one shaft meshing with those of the other shaftin reverse order, each shaft being movable axially with reference to thegears thereabout, a feather for locking each shaft to any one gearthereon, and means for shifting the shafts through the gears and therebyunlocking them from one pair of meshing gears and locking them toanother pair of meshing gears.

13. A speed changing mechanism comprising two shafts, separate gears ofdifferent size encircling or surrounding each shaft, the gears of oneshaft meshing with those of the other shaft in reverse order, each shaftmovable axially with reference to the gears thereabout, and connectionsbetween the two shafts whereby the axial movement of one shaft effectsthe axial movement of the other shaft.

14. A speed changing mechanism comprising two shafts, two series ofseparate gears of different size, the gears of one shaft meshing withthose of the other shaft in reverse order, each shaft movable axiallywith reference to the gears thereon, a feather for locking each shaft toany one gear thereabout, and means for shifting the shafts through thegears and thereby unlocking them from one pair of meshing gears andlocking them to another pair of meshing gears.

15. A speed changing mechanism comprising two shafts and two series ofseparate gears of different size, the gears of one shaft meshing withthose of the other shaft in reverse order, each shaft movable axiallywith reference to the gears thereabout, a feather for locking each shaftto any one gear thereon, and connections between the two shafts wherebythe axial movement of one shaft effects the axial movement of the othershaft. 16. In a variable speed mechanism, a driving shaft adapted to beadjusted endwise and provided with a key, a series of gears looselysupported and adapted to be respectively engaged and driven by said key,a driven shaft provided with a key and adapted to be shifted endwise,and a series of gears in mesh with the gears of the driving shaft, andadapted to respectively impart motion to the driven shaft by means ofthe key carried by the driven shaft.

17. In a variable speed mechanism, a driving shaft, a driven shaft,gears oppositely disposed and concentrically mounted around said shafts,free from contact therewith and in mesh with each other, a clutch oneach of said shafts adapted to travel through the bores of said gearsand to x said gears to their respective shafts, and a common means forshifting the said clutches.

18. In a variable speed mechanism, a driving shaft, a driven shaft, aplurality of different sized gears through the bores of which saidshafts pass, clutch members on the respective shafts adapted to travelthrough the bores of the gears, and to respectively bring into operationdifferent pairs of said gears to effect a change of speed, and a commonmeans for shifting the said clutches.

In testimony of the foregoing specification I do hereby sign the same inthe city of New York, county and State of New York this 24th day ofDecember A. D., 1901.

"' LOUIE J". HARRIS.

Witnesses:

ROB. SCHWARZ, J. ODELL FowLER, Jr.

